Hurricane Sandy Sinks Ship; 14 Rescued, 2 Missing

The replica HMS Bounty tall ship is shown in this August, 2011 handout photo supplied by HMS Bounty Organization LLC on her European Tour 2011 while in Swinoujescie, Poland.

(Photo: Reuters)

The cloud cover from Hurricane Sandy interacting with the long line of clouds associated with the cold front approaching the eastern U.S., is pictured in this image that was created combining NOAA's GOES-13 and GOES-15 satellite imagery, taken on October 27, 2012. Hurricane Sandy could be the biggest storm to hit the United States mainland when it comes ashore on Monday night, bringing strong winds and dangerous flooding to the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic states to New England, forecasters said on Sunday. Image taken October 27, 2012.

Hurricane Sandy sunk a tall ship that was used in such films as "Pirates of the Caribbean" off the coast of Hatteras, N.C. The Coast Guard was able to rescue 14 people Monday morning but two remain missing.

The crew on the HMS Bounty was headed for St. Petersburg, Fla., but couldn't escape Hurricane Sandy. Abandoning the ship, the crew boarded two lifeboats before being rescued by two Coast Guard helicopters early Monday.

The Bounty sank.

One aircraft remains on the scene in search for the two missing crewmembers. A third Jayhawk crew is en route to assist search and rescue efforts.

The owner of the 180-foot, three mast tall ship contacted the Coast Guard Sector North Carolina after losing communication with the vessel's crew late Sunday evening.

The Coast Guard 5th District command center in Portsmouth subsequently received a signal from the emergency position indicating radio beacon registered to the Bounty, confirming the distress and position, the Coast Guard reported.

Hurricane Sandy is moving parallel to the East Coast and is expected to turn northwest Monday evening. It is expected to make landfall along the central N.J. coast. Forecasters predict long periods of sustained tropical storm-force winds between Virginia and Massachusetts and historic surge levels along the coast, including New York Harbor.